Himalayas or the abode of snow as it is popularly known stretches across the northeastern portion of India.
Geography of Himalayas
- Covers approximately 2,400 kilometers
- The Himalayan range passes through India, Afghanistan, Burma, China, Nepal and Bhutan
- Made up of three parallel ranges
- The Greater Himalayas
- The Lesser Himalayas
- The outer Himalayas
Ecology of Himalayan Range
The region gets dominated through highly intimidating mountains like Everest and The Mount K2. The Himalayas are rich in biodiversity. The climate also ranges from tropical which is at the base of the Mountains to perennial snow along with ice which can be found at the higher elevations.
Influence of Himalayas on Climate
The weather condition of Himalayan region is found to be very unique. The Himalayas also cast huge influence on the meteorological conditions of the Indian subcontinent mainly in the south along with the Central Asian highlands towards the northern region. Therefore Himalayas act as climatic dividers which circulate the air and water system at a very high level. Due to very high altitude and location these huge mountain ranges block the passage of the cold winds which come towards the Indian subcontinent from the north side, thus making the climatic conditions in India much more moderate.
Climatic Variations in Himalayas
The two main seasons which are widespread and experienced in the Himalayan region are:
- Winters
- Summers
The southern foothills of Himalayas experience an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius during summers, while the average winter temperature during winters is 18 degree Celsius. In the higher parts of Himalayas the summer temperature which is being recorded ranges from 15 to 18 degree Celsius, while the winters are found to be below the freezing point.
The climatic condition in the regions which lie above 4880 meters is found to be below freezing point as it is permanently snow-capped. The winter’s experience heavy snowfall while the summers are a bit soothing and milder. The Himalayan Alpine climate is found to be varying as per rising altitude. More the height and more cooler the temperature turns. The climate sometimes is very unpredictable and seems to be highly dangerous too.
The Ladakh and Zanskar region of the Himalayan range experiences the coldest temperatures during winters across the globe. Some hill stations of western Himalayas like Kangra, Chamba, and Kullu valley experience monsoon season including Darjeeling and Sikkim regions.
